TAMPA, Fla. — We're at about halftime for the Selmon Extension Project.

There are piers, beams and pillars all over the area. It will eventually take about 40 percent of the current Gandy Boulevard traffic off the road.

"That way we'll have traffic flowing from Brandon," said Kym Graves, projection information officer. "If you're coming from Brandon or from downtown, you can just head straight to St. Pete without hitting a traffic light."

The largest part of most projects are related to prep work. Utilities need moved and the geotechnical work completed on each individual pier.  

There are two types of piers or pillars you'll see on the Selmon Extension Project. One is tensioned from side to side — big steel beams are bolted to it. The bridge deck will sit on single piers. Those are tensioned from end to end and there are less than 20 of them left to go in the project.

Any necessary lane closures have happened over night but that doesn't mean residents don't feel that work during the day.

For example, have you noticed big steel plates over the roadway?  There is drainage work happening there — work that will continue the next night.

“Because there's a very small window between the time they do the work and the time the road opens to the public," Graves said. "So they put the roadway plates there temporarily and they come back and put the temporary asphalt on there so it's a lot smoother."

So, be patient. The Selmon Extension is scheduled to finish a year from now.